n the world of sports law, 2016 was a banner year. We saw the NFL agree to pay retired players a billion dollars, rampant scandals on college campuses involving athletics, the two biggest names in daily fantasy sports agree to join forces, and, of course, Deflategate. 2017 is shaping up to be just as litigious. The following list, organized by sport, includes a number of … [Read more...]
“The Quest Starts Now”: Can the NHL and NHLPA Reach a Labor Agreement Without a Work Stoppage?
ust when all seemed well in the world of sports labor negotiations with the ratification and near-ratification of new collective bargaining agreements for the MLB and NBA respectively, the NHL’s wonderfully contentious relationship between its owners and players reared its ugly head. In November, NHL owners made an initial offer to allow the players to participate in the 2018 … [Read more...]
What We Know About The New NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement
n a surprise to many (including myself), the NBA and National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) are close to finalizing a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) well in advance of the current CBA’s December 15 opt-out date. Reports suggest that a completed deal will be finalized in the “coming weeks.” UPDATE: The CBA is expected to be completed "just after … [Read more...]
The Derrick Rose Sexual Assault Trial Primer
Authors Note: This story was originally published on September 13th and has been updated on October 3rd to reflect the Court's pretrial rulings and other evidence that has come to light. If text is crossed out, that means the judge has ordered that it cannot be used during trial. here is cutthroat litigation and then there is the Derrick Rose sexual assault lawsuit. With a … [Read more...]
Time to Fold? Appeals Court Busts New Jersey’s Latest Attempt to Legalize Sports Betting
ew Jersey’s long-standing attempt to legalize sports betting has hit yet another bump in the road. For the third time, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, in an opinion supported by 10 of the 12 Judges, that includes two dissents, has ruled against New Jersey finding that the state’s attempt to legalize sports betting violates federal law. Background Since this battle … [Read more...]
Everything You Need About St. Louis Cardinals Hacker’s 46-Month Sentence
fter pleading guilty to five counts of unauthorized access to a protected computer in January, former St. Louis Cardinal director of baseball development Christopher Correa was sentenced to 46 months in jail in federal court and ordered to pay $279,038 in restitution yesterday. The events in question took place during 2013 and 2014, the year Correa was promoted to director of … [Read more...]
On the Heels of the “Human Billboard”: US Runner Nick Symmonds v. USOC
Isiah Thomas recently took to twitter to bless us (once again) with his recipe for a successful professional career in sports: https://twitter.com/iamisiahthomas/status/750698474786750464 Don’t worry, Zeke, Nick Symmonds is listening. Though a bum ankle will keep Symmonds from tasting gold in Rio, that doesn’t mean he won’t be trying to get paid from the sidelines. In an … [Read more...]
Breaking it Down: The 32 NFL Teams Lose Request to Dismiss Painkillers Lawsuit
ederal judge William Alsup of the Northern District of California has denied the NFL teams’ motion to dismiss a class action lawsuit filed by more than 1,500 former players against the teams. Alsup also previously dismissed a similar lawsuit filed by group of ex-NFL players, lead by former Bears DL Richard Dent, against the NFL. The appeal of that case is currently … [Read more...]
How to “Fire” Roger Goodell
"Roger Goodell has stepped in it again." Whether it is failing to read a scathing 91-page Congressional report detailing how NFL officials improperly interfered with concussion research, admittedly mishandling player domestic violence cases, or any number of other blunders, this headline has become the default for reporters covering the NFL in recent years. Goodell’s actions … [Read more...]
Breaking it Down: U.S. Soccer Federation Scores Win Against the U.S. Women’s National Team
n Friday, Judge Coleman of the Northern District of Illinois federal district court granted summary judgment in favor of the U.S. Soccer Federation, finding that relevant terms (including the “no strike, no lockout” provision) of the parties’ previous collective bargaining agreement (CBA) will remain in effect for the rest of 2016. Background Earlier this year, U.S. Soccer … [Read more...]